SMS Server Gets Overhaul; Feature Packs Released

The latest version of Microsoft’s Systems Management Server is in beta
now, promising integration into the .NET universe, and sporting something
new: feature packs that may make their way into other products.

Code-named “Topaz,” and now “Systems Management Server 2003,” the product
is scheduled to be shipped during “the first half of 2003,” according
to David Hamilton, director of the management business group. The .NET
focus includes support for mobile devices, including a new client that
uses XML as the data-storing format.

Hamilton said .NET is a natural for SMS, as both technologies are meant
for distributed environments. “The .NET universe is heavily dependent
on management, [with systems] distributed across an environment and potentially
across many companies. With a system that distributed you really need
great management.”

Optional add-ons to SMS 2003 are two feature packs: One will add functionality
to enhance security patching, while the other will add efficiency to SMS
administration. Hamilton said that testers have so far welcomed the idea
of feature packs. “We’re going to do more of this feature-pack type of
approach and make features available on a more regular basis.” New features
were previously added to service packs, but Microsoft has abandoned that
strategy.

Without going into specifics, Hamilton mentioned that other Microsoft
products might follow suit. “I expect we’ll see some other products take
the feature pack approach.” The feature packs will be free to all customers
currently running SMS 2.0, the most current version.

SMS 2003 will also be more secure out of the box, thanks to the code
review all Windows products received as part of the security initiative
earlier this year. SMS, Hamilton explained, underwent an “extensive, month-long
review. Out of that came many areas we’ve tightened up. We’re really happy
to have done that.” One specific area that changed substantially was user
accounts. “We spent a lot of time looking at ways we use user accounts.
We thought were specific ways we could tighten up ways we gave user accounts
to people.”

SMS 2003 will also tightly integrate with Active Directory. While AD
isn’t a necessity to run SMS 2003, Hamilton said that when it’s in place,
“SMS works better.” For example, SMS can use the AD hierarchy as the foundation
for its own hierarchy. “You can build your own sites and domains on top”
of those already set up in AD, Hamilton said.